Following his address to the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday and his meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, High Representative Valentin Inzko will have talks in Washington today and tomorrow with senior US government officials, including Deputy Secretary of State William Burns.
During his meetings, the High Representative will reiterate the message he delivered to the Security Council. The BiH political establishment is failing to deliver the basic requirements of governance and Euro-Atlantic integration. As a result of this, Bosnia and Herzegovina is falling behind the rest of the region.
The High Representative believes, however, that this unacceptable situation can be turned around quickly and will say that the International Community must maintain its capacity and its readiness to work with BiH stakeholders who want to follow a more constructive approach.
In light of the setbacks and prevailing divisive politics facing the country, the international executive mandates remain essential in order to safeguard the interests and security of BiH citizens. “Much has been achieved in Bosnia and Herzegovina since the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement, but we have not yet seen the signs of irreversible progress towards the EU and NATO that would let us conclude that our job is done,” he said.
In New York and Washington the High Representative is conducting an extensive series of meetings with the ambassadors of key BiH partner states as well as senior officials with responsibility for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans at the State Department, the National Security Council and the Office of the Vice President.